The Cost Of War
by Shit.Apples
Summary: [Germany x Reader] You are the general of your own squad on the army. After numerous successful missions on the battlefield, you and your team are sent to an important strategic position in the war. Not long after that, all Hell breaks loose.
1. Chapter 1

**~The Cost Of War~**

 **Chapter 1**

 _ **I did some research on the army on this, but they might be wrong. Forgive (and correct, please…!) me if there are any mistakes. (Especially the rankings. I don't get that.)**_

Ever since you were young, you had wanted to enlist in the army.

It wasn't for the glory. You just enjoyed the thrill of it. The fighting, the weaponry, the teamwork - all of it. The thrill of living on the border of death excited you, and the feeling only became stronger as you grew. The people discouraging you were more than enough to push you along the path you desired.

Your parents said you would grow out of it eventually, but you didn't. Quite the opposite - you decided to go for a spot in the army right after college. Years of training had not been wasted, and you got the spot with little difficulty.

Of course, a girl in the army was not a big surprise, so you did the best you could. It was tough, but you managed.

After a few years of training you were at the top of your class, the best marksman your team had. Anything related to sniper business - it was your call. Sometimes the trainers would even allow you to lead a small team of marksmen in mock battle.

Pretty soon the promotions started rolling in. Your childhood dream had become a reality and you were determined to make it last. You rose through the ranks, and finally after years of servicing the army, you were the general of your own troop which consisted of approximately 75 mediocre soldiers. At your request, they were swapped with a squad of 15 elite snipers and marksmen, excelling at taking down your enemies from a distant. You guys ran the support column of the army.

Now with only the best people to accommodate your own natural abilities, you were sent to a camp with your team for a week. A survival camp, with three other elite squads and their generals, summing up to approximately 52 other people.

It was all down to power. Whoever had the best ability, did the best job, automatically had higher authority within the same rank. That was how your team had agreed on. In the week-long survival camp, trainings and mock battles and wars were arranged, pitting one team against the other or having a two-to-two war, using paintballs.

Although you were the youngest in your team, your people still listened to you. It was your personal opinion, but this was too similar to a dictatorship. You'd much rather have a democratic team, but on the battlefield, there's no time for the inexperienced to think too much.

It was the last day of camp, and it was supposedly the biggest mock war in the history of camp. You woke at six, taking a few seconds to warm yourself up and then going around the tent calling your teammates. Once everyone was somewhat functional, you herded them outside for the usual eight-mile run to build up their stamina. Just because most of the time they'd be hiding up trees and in bushes doesn't mean they didn't need to make a quick escape.

Once the morning exercise was over, it was seven. Time for breakfast. Anyone who wasn't done with the run by now would just have the scraps from the meals. You'd found that this was a great motivation for your team. Rest and food were two big motivators, and you really couldn't blame them. It was better than getting a measly compliment.

Then were the preparations for the upcoming battle. As a warmup, you had your team reassemble disassembled weapons of their choice, climb up a tree with their weapon and shoot a target at least half a mile away. You did this all with them, of course - no use having a general that can't do anything but spew shit. It takes a soldier to know a soldier, and you all have deep connections within your team.

After warmup, you gathered your squad to run through a few commands and formations. They'll probably be used in battle, though what actually happened on the field largely depended on who their opponents were. Jeremy was usually easy to read, but if it was Riley then your team will need to improvise a _lot._

"Everybody remember who their war buddies are?" You asked again, just to make sure. You'd assigned them war buddies at the start of the training camp, and you doubted they'd forget. Basically what these were was to keep you safe and have your back covered at all times. You expected war buddies to have a closer relationship than normal teammates.

One of your soldiers raised their hand to ask a question. "You've been avoiding the subject of _your_ war buddy. Who're you paired up with?"

In truth you had no war buddy. Your sole responsibility was your teammates. As their general, you valued their safety above everything else, and in return your teammates constantly looked out for you, not that you didn't mind. You just thought maybe they should focus more on themselves and their own war buddies than spend all their time worrying about you.

"That's not important - " You were cut off by the arrival of a commander, along with a new person.

You and your team immediately snapped to attention, giving a sharp salute. "Commander Kendrick," you greeted.

The commander nodded in return and you relaxed, settling back into a more comfortable position. "This will be the new addition to your ranks." The commander said, gesturing to the newcomer. With that said, he left, leaving her in your company.

"What's your name, soldier?" You asked, while looking over her. She had a lean figure, and her hands seemed steady. You couldn't tell what she could do since she had missed the morning exercise, but the fact that the commander had left her with you spoke volumes about her ability.

"The name's Brooke, ma'am," the newcomer said. You switched your gaze to her features. Sharp brown eyes, not a hint of fatigue in them, even though she must've risen early to come all the way from the army camp to here at this time. Her hair was tied neatly into a bun and she was just a tad shorter than you. And you weren't taller than anyone on your squad.

"Welcome to the squad, Brooke," you smiled, dropping your rigid posture. Discipline should be taught over time, not straight on the spot, as not to scare away any new arrivals. "Let me introduce you to the team." You called out the names one by one and they responded, letting Brooke know roughly who everyone is.

After the introductions - Brooke knew you by your reputation already - you frowned. Everyone already had a war buddy, so Brooke would be left out.

Evidently your team knew what you was on your mind. "If I may be so bold to suggest, Brooke can be your war partner," Jan said. "You need one."

You glanced over at Brooke for her approval. "I would be honored," she smirked.

Glaring at her, you said irritatedly, "Better lose that attitude if you want dinner." Brooke immediately lost the smirk and quietly fell in line.

You began briefing the team with what little knowledge you had. "We'll be on the red team, as always. Remember to look out for any spare ammunition on fallen soldiers. One partner should do that while the other covers them. Most importantly, you should look for any strategic positions that need to be taken over. Signal for assistance if you find yourself in a tight spot and leave the area immediately. If you think a specific enemy may destroy our plans, or are even slightly more dangerous than the others, target them immediately and report their whereabouts constantly."

Behind the team, a soldier from another general's team was rushing over. You paused in your briefing - which was just the usual information anyway - and went to intercept the messenger.

What you received left you shocked for a few moments. "We can't possibly do _that!_ What does the commander think we are, unstoppable killing machines?" You sighed heavily. The messenger shrugged helplessly, then went off in the direction of the other generals.

"Was that news of the war?" Quinn asked. The team had sneaked up behind you, though they didn't seem to know what the messenger had told you.

You thought of how to say this. "Just remember that we aren't invincible. If you get surrounded, pick off as many of them as possible to make things easier for the rest of us. Better yet, don't let yourself be found. Changing positions would be tricky, since the enemy might see you, but use your surroundings to your advantage. Move quickly and you might escape in a tight spot."

"General, who are we up against?"

"You're not alone in this. You have war buddies for a reason." You continued, wanting to get this all out of your system first. "Kill anyone you see and leave none of them alive."

" _General!"_ Lonnie yelled.

"Be patient," you rolled your eyes. "We'll be using the forest as the battlefield, and we have a twenty-second headstart."

You paused for dramatic effect. "We're going to team up."

The team stood still for a moment before starting to demand explanations. "Is it a two-on-two war?"

"We're going to form one big team with the rest of the generals."

That seemed to take their minds off their opponents for a few moments. "What kind of _shit rule_ is _that_?!" seemed to be the general sentence going around, as well as "Jerry is going to ruin _everything!_ " and "How am I supposed to work with _Riley's_ team?!"

You snapped your fingers for silence. "I agree that going onto the battlefield under different generals may be disorienting, but I assume it's part of your training, since it's put in the agenda for today.

Only Brooke was still focused on the issue of opponents. "General? Our opponents?"

"I still need to explain the rules."

Brooke's enquiry reminded the others of the matter at hand. "Yeah, if we're teaming up who's gonna be our opponents?" Arron asked.

You took a deep breath. "The rest of the army."


	2. Chapter 2

**~The Cost of War~**

 **Chapter 2**

Once all the commotion had settled you made your point clear that it's not the _whole_ army you guys'll be up against, it's what's _left_ of the army.

"As most of you know, a large chunk of the army has been deployed into the middle of the battlefield as reinforcements to hold onto our positions and push back," you explained. "Even though it doesn't seem a lot, they most certainly can outnumber us at least three to one.

"The rules of the this war are simple - it's the same as when you're in a real war. Any shots that don't land on crucial spots are considered mendable. Fallen comrades must be helped back to base. Each of us will receive a unique number and that is what we use to mark our targets. We will be using red ammunition, so the other side will be blue."

"How about weapons?" someone asked.

"We will be given our weapons of choice, as well as a secondary short-ranged gun. Ammunition belts will be provided and you are expected to take good care of them." You gave Cary a hard stare.

"That was _one time!_ " Cary protested. You gave her a small smile and an I'm-watching-you gesture.

You continued. "In a few minutes we'll group with the other squads and will have approximately five to ten minutes to discuss our strategies. Our enemies will be coming at unexpected times, in unexpected waves. This will be the realest battle you will ever be in."

"Except we're using paintballs." Evan pointed out.

Tory groaned. "Paintballs hurt too! Their snipers aren't as good as us," here he paused to flash a confident smile. "But on the occasions they _do_ get clear shots at us…" He rubbed his back where he'd been shot once in the training camp and grimaced.

"Riiiiight," you said uncertainly. "I think that's the most of it. The rest will probably be improvisation."

"The thing we're the best at!" a new voice announced. You turned around and saw Riley and his team. Hearing a few soft groans from your side, you silenced them with a glare and turned back to the general.

"Have you briefed your team yet?"

Riley looked hurt. "I'm not always _that_ forgetful!" He complained. It's only been a few seconds of interaction and you were not looking forward to the rest of it. But for the sake of the team.

The other generals arrived - Jeremy and Jack, each with their own teams. You greeted each other, and that was when Jack announced she had something to say. She was the eldest and most experienced soldier among the rest of you, so within your team that meant she automatically got the highest rank and outranked you, even though you were their general.

Riley's team didn't seem content with this arrangement though. You heard things like "Is she supposed to be the grand general or whatever?" among other whispers.

"Riley, control your team," Jeremy hissed threateningly. The accused general rolled his eyes and gave a half-assed glance at his men.

With a pointed glance, Jack went on to announce her news. "The commander expects us to mingle and form groups with members of different squads on the same team. The forest is big so to cover all the strategic positions mapped out we'll need to take down our opponents quickly."

"I thought we had a twenty-second headstart?" someone queried.

Jeremy answered for Jack. "We do, and that's to station our soldiers. We cannot move within half a mile of the points we have to capture or that would result in automatic reinforcements from the other side. We'd get flooded."

"We're gonna get flooded either way," someone muttered, who sounded suspiciously like Hunter from your squad.

Jack ignored her and continued, unrolling a map she had hid somewhere on her body. "These are all the positions we have to cover," she instructed, pointing at various spots located all around the forest. "The final goal, of course, would be to take over their main camp." She pointed to a large clearing in the furthest corner of the map. "If we take over that, we win. If by any circumstance we need to surrender, we may do so after securing affirmation from all the generals via radio communication. We automatically lose if only a quarter of us are left standing. All fallen soldiers are required to report back to the enemy base."

After the mass briefing, the generals had a little time to themselves while the soldiers got themselves sorted out. "We aren't supposed to win this, aren't we?" Jeremy said bluntly, crossing his arms.

Jack sighed. "Something about learning the consequences of war, or something like that."

"Seems stupid, considering how the consequences of war would ultimately be on the whole country and not just individual soldiers," Riley snorted.

"I suppose it's considered essential because a large chunk of them haven't been out on the real battlefield before," you mused.

"Yourself included," Riley rolled his eyes.

Jeremy glared at his fellow comrade. "(Name) is better than you in more ways than I could care to count," he said. "If we go by her team's way of ranking people, you'd be kissing our shoes for food."

You detected a slight movement from behind you, which distracted you from the unfolding argument. It was Brooke, the newcomer. Maybe she didn't understand that when they said a _general meeting,_ they meant a _General's_ meeting. And she wasn't entirely welcome here. And the fact that she did nothing to hide herself made the whole thing worse, like she hadn't expected to be caught eavesdropping.

You glared at her. "And _what_ are you doing?" The other generals stopped their bickering and turned their attention to the intruder.

"I just have a question," Brooke said timidly. "If we win the war, we wouldn't have to face any consequences."

That earned her a strange look from all the generals. "We still have to face the cost of the war. It doesn't matter if we're the victors or the losers, there's still something that's lost." Jack explained.

"But we can always make the losers pay for it," Brooke stated. "Isn't that what they did to Germany in World War One? The losers pay for the war, while the victors tend to their wounds and rebuild themselves."

"It's not World War One anymore, darling," Riley drawled. "Now why don't you go and get prepared like all the other soldiers?"

You growled at Riley. "Step off my squad member, asshole." You were not looking forward to cooperating with this son of a bitch.

Brooke seemed grateful for your support in warding off Riley. "Sorry, I was just wondering," she apologized. With a slightly sharper look she glanced at the insolent general. "And in case _you_ were wondering, I've already loaded my guns and geared up. I'm just waiting on your team, as is everyone else."

One glance at the area where the soldiers were gearing up told the generals what was happening.

While Riley sprinted towards his team, yelling about what they were doing wrong, the other squads split themselves up into different groups. There were a total of four points on the map they had to take over, and taking over each point meant leaving more and more soldiers behind on defensive duty. It was decided that they would go out in groups of four instead of in pairs like usual, something that Jack's team was very much used to. Each group would consist of at least one sniper from your team, two all-round soldiers from Jeremy's and Jack's teams and a close-ranged loose-cannon soldier from Riley's.

"Let's move out now," Parker begged you. "Before Riley comes back with his bunch of goons."

"If only we could do that," you sighed. "But we gotta follow the rules. Remember that in wars you could potentially be killed if orders aren't followed." Parker nodded sullenly.

Finally Riley's team was ready. "That took you ages," Jeremy snapped at him, and Riley only shrugged and herded his soldiers to their positions.

"At least your female soldiers aren't as lazy as your male ones," you said approvingly.

Jack nodded. "Unfortunately, it seems like you'd been assigned to them. You lazy asshole."

Riley took all the insults without batting an eye. He was used to this, and the other generals knew this. Although he was lazy and didn't seem to do much, his team put emphasis on democracy, and using a soldier's own judgement like 99% of the time. It made them all loose cannons, but also made them unpredictable.

After the generals themselves got geared up, it was time for a final briefing. With the groups all assigned, the generals stood in front of the 49 soldiers. "Use the radio only for communicating long-distance," Jack ordered. "We don't want anyone confusing everyone with orders for their own group."

"If you see other ally groups through the leaves, keep your distance. It'll mean either they or you have strayed too far from your original path. When attacking an enemy camp, seize every opportunity," Jeremy instructed.

"It's never a crime to call for backup," you filled in. The atmosphere was getting heavier and heavier with every word. "If you find yourself in a tight situation, extract yourself immediately and signal for more soldiers. The one thing we lack is numbers, but we can easily make that up in skill and ability, as well as quick thinking."

A few snorts at this, aimed at Riley's team, presumably.

"Once I blow the whistle, the enemy camp will start counting down from twenty. After that, they will be unleashed. There are young and new soldiers, eager for a taste of war." Jack said.

"And if it's war they want, it's war they'll _get_!" Riley roared, lifting his gun above his head and earning a mighty response from the rest of the team.

Jeremy scoffed. "Leave it to Riley to get them all riled up."

"Good one."

Jack rolled her eyes, and without any warning blew a shrill note on her whistle that could be heard from miles away. The soldiers sprang into action, each taking their own route into the large forest. The formation was simple - four people in a group, fanning out to cover most of the forest. The plan was simple - hide in the bush a few miles out, continue after clearing out that part of the forest. The goal was simple - take over everything.

But you knew that war was complicated and full of obstacles that put a soldier's limits to the test. As per orders, you and the rest of the generals formed a team and sprinted into the forest, right smack in the middle of the fan formation your soldiers had made.


	3. Chapter 3

**~The Cost of War~**

 **Chapter 3**

As the footsteps of your fellow soldiers receded into the distance, a heavy silence fell over the remaining generals. Even the usually talkative Riley had shut up. Perhaps they were all thinking the same thing - the heartbreaking event where enemy soldiers flood over allies.

"We might as well walk into camp right now," Jeremy commented as they stopped for a quick gear check and sweep the area for potential hideouts.

"That'll just lower the morale of our teams," Jack pointed out. Even though you were generals, you still had to follow the same rules and regulations as the normal soldiers.

"Group One reporting in," the radios they carried crackled to life, each group reporting in their positions and status.

Then the queries started to come in. "Under what circumstances are we allowed to act based on our own judgement?" That was probably from a soldier from Jeremy's squad.

"Seeing as we can't observe the whole battlefield, I'd say a lot of times you'd have to use your own judgement," Jeremy replied after a while. The questions died down as each of them were answered, and after that radio activity stopped completely.

"We should get ourselves into position," you told the others. After receiving a nod from all of them, you quickly scaled a tree and nestled in one of the branches. Being a sniper slash marksman, you opted to carry less gear in favor of speed and agility. It left you with a big gaping hole in choice of weapons, but it didn't matter to you anyway since your favorite sniper was also the lightest and easiest to carry.

In a matter of seconds the little spot where your team had been standing had been cleared, and you couldn't see anyone from your little hideout. Hopefully you wouldn't get spotted straight away - no one knew where you'd be. You could be all the way back at headquarters, for all the opponents know.

There was a rustle in the undergrowth. You quickly silenced your radio in case anyone decides to pop in a report at such an unfortunate time. Propping your gun against your knee, you took careful aim at the quivering leaves.

A head popped out, followed by a full body. It was an opponent. Instantly, a volley paintballs splattered on his uniform, officially marking him as dead. As the soldier laid down his weapons and walked back to where he came from, you were thinking. Why was it only one single soldier? You had paused with your finger on the trigger, curious to know your opponent's strategy first. Besides, your job wasn't to engage in direct combat, it was to pick off any straggler that might pose a risk.

Turns out the strategy the opposition using was a no-brainer. If the opposing team - our team - was expecting a huge flood of soldiers from their opponents, they would fire at any chance they got to take out all opposition before reinforcements came. As the other three generals were reloading their pistols, more soldiers flooded into the vicinity, firing at your teammates' general directions, since they had given away their position when firing on the single soldier.

This was where you came in. Carefully shifting your position so the trunk provided cover, you picked off any stragglers that became too bold and strayed too far from the main group. One by one they fell, and more and more had to go back to their base as the other generals got their guns up and firing again. You could easily pinpoint where Riley was, he was making so much noise you'd find it surprising if he didn't alert their real enemies all the way across the country.

But you supposed it was a good tactic. With the soldiers' attention focused on Riley, the others could move silently around them and pick them off from different positions. Of course, you weren't in a position to move right now so you stayed. It did give you plenty of cover to reload your gun, though, so that was a plus.

After a few moments there was no one left standing. You silently slid off your perch and landed back on solid ground, stretching your legs. "We better move before reinforcements arrive."

"Way ahead of you," Jack was already shouldering her gear and was going around picking up ammunition from the "dead" soldiers. "C'mon," she waved at the others, and they quickly followed her example.

With Jeremy in the lead, you proceeded in grim silence, with the radio turned on for any reports. There was some occasional static, but otherwise no one had anything to say. The enemies seemed to be more focused on the other teams - or perhaps they were hiding.

"I'd figured more people would come for us," Riley said softly. "Eager to prove their worth, y'know. Taking down four generals."

"Well to be fair they don't know our formation," you piped in, then signaled for silence. There were sounds of scuffling and gunshots. Had one of the other groups strayed too far and walked into an enemy troop?

All four of you simultaneously ran towards the noise. It wasn't far away - it was just next to where you were a few heartbeats before. You couldn't see much except for red and blue paintballs coloring the grass and filling the air, but you could see from the setup that this was meant to be an ambush. Your team had obviously walked right into it.

At least your team was still standing. You scaled a tree, hoping no one was hiding in it, then started aiming for where the red paintballs were coming from. Riley charged into the fray, saving his voice and converting it to speed, darting around to distract the enemy. The red paintballs paused for a fraction of a second, and so did the blue ones. Something shifted in the tree next to you, and for a moment the opposition was visible, hiding in the shelter of the thick leaves.

You twisted around and aimed a shot at their back, taking them down effectively. A barrel poked from a bush down below, aiming for Riley, who was still doing his eccentric dance with the other shooters. Jack spotted the barrel as well and thankfully got rid of it before Riley was injured.

Within minutes the red paintballs had thinned significantly and your soldiers had also become bolder, standing up in the foliage to take careful aim and survey their surroundings. Another few moments and all of you had cleared the area.

"Any casualties?" Jeremy asked while Riley collapsed to the ground to take a break, moaning something about food.

Someone from Jeremy's team answered and someone had been shot in the thigh. That was mended quickly, and you listened on the radio carefully for any reports of deaths. There were none so far, but there were bound to be some down the road.

"I think some of them fled," Jack commented, piling the ammunition up for the eight of us. "That's not good."

"They'd probably pass around word that we're traveling in fours, if they didn't know that already," Riley added from his position on the floor.

"Good luck," you clapped Brice on the back. She was from your team and in this group. Luckily she hadn't been injured - you'd taught your snipers to be better than that.

This time Jack led your team and vanished back onto your original course. As time passed, groups reported deaths and injuries, as well as ambushes and groups asking for assistance. Once or twice an enemy point had been captured, only for that group to be wiped out by enemy reinforcements before other groups could make it.

By sunset it seemed only two groups had survived. On a vote, your team had decided to camp out on the trees, since it's a war for your soldiers and the generals being on the field was only for the purpose of morale anyway.

The other group was being led by your new member. Brooke. "Totally underestimated her," you muttered to yourself as the radio crackled to life and reported that an enemy point had been captured.

Just after that, two shrill whistle blows were heard throughout the forest. The war was over, the time was up - and it was obvious who had won.

The rest of the army departed at once, heading back to headquarters as not to disturb the rest of our survival-training camp. The groups had separated into their separate squads again, and each general had led them to a different part of camp to talk about their actions and the war.

The atmosphere in your squad was - not going to lie - disappointed and glum. Once the thrill of the war had passed, reality had crushed them into smithereens, though you were sure every one of them were strong and could recover quickly. The only one who seemed bright - except from you - was Brooke, who had managed to lead her whole group to capture an enemy point and also not lose anyone.

"We now owe the army something," you said after you'd let them wallow in self-pity for a while.

Instantly life was restored back into the team. "What do you mean _owe?!"_ someone yelled. You heard a shrill scream of horror from somewhere behind camp - probably someone from Riley's team. Most likely the others were also sharing this.

You shrugged helplessly. "Remember the World Wars and everything before, after, and in between?" The soldiers nodded, unsure where this was going. "All the treaties?" you hinted. A silence fell over the team.

"So you're saying we have to sign a _treaty_ because we lost an _unfair_ _mock_ battle?" Francis whispered.

You shrugged again. "Consequences. Not my rules, theirs. You need to accept the consequences of the war. Of course, us generals would try and lighten the load but… Well, see what happened to Germany in the First World War."

Some gasps. You were annoyed. You didn't raise your soldiers to be sissies. "You mean it could be like the Versailles?" Quinn said incredulously. "We have to _pay?"_

"Well maybe not real money, just time and effort. I hear they're wanting to construct a big greenhouse for a garden…" You trailed off, then laughed when you saw their horrified faces, able to guess what they were thinking. _We're soldiers, not builders!_

"We'll make sure they don't make it too harsh," you laughed and winked. Then you ushered them back into the tents. "C'mon, go get dinner and have some fun in your last day! Curfew is cancelled for tonight but don't get into trouble and don't get hurt!"

That erased the negative emotions and sent them racing back to the tent, shoving and insulting each other like the family they were.


	4. Chapter 4

**~The Cost of War~**

 **Chapter 4**

It had been a weeks after that survival camp. Even though no one mentioned it, you could feel a certain tension in the air whenever you pulled your team out for shooting practice. It was as if they were all afraid to lose again, and did their best to hit their targets. You didn't mind the extra motive.

The consequences of that loss in the mock war had been quite simple. To be honest, you had expected something harsher, though you suppose the generals' negotiation did help a bit. The initial "treaty" the army had drafted up went something along the lines of having to sleep in the open for two weeks and wash the dishes for the whole army for three.

Thanks to Riley's _superb_ negotiation skills - cough cough - the army reduced the "wash the dishes" thing to two weeks, and added in three days of having to salute everyone in the army - except the four generals' squads - like they were a commander.

"Trying to humiliate them?" Jeremy had asked matter-of-factly. After a few heated arguments where someone had to pull a gun on Riley and you having to break up a fight between Jeremy and one of the generals on the winning side, the whole salutation thing was canceled but the soldiers had to sleep out in the open for two more weeks.

"I get where they were going," you had sighed when the conference was over and you were allowed your guns back. (It had been simulating a real conference, a kind of training for the generals as well.)

Jack had nodded. "Crush their morales. We could've let them do it - extra training, I suppose - but maybe we've grown too soft," she then laughed. "They're lucky the army didn't want to keep any prisoners, though I wouldn't have missed it if Riley had gone. His squad needs some serious shaping up."

You had both laughed at that notion.

That had been a week ago.

Now, you weren't laughing as much. The exhausting training schedule you had set for your squad, coupled with the less-than-lenient terms of the war and the sour mood most of your soldiers had been in, was really starting to get to you. The only bright thing in your life was Brooke, and you had been slightly surprised by that. Despite her slim frame, she possessed more endurance and packed a harder punch than most of the people on your squad. To be honest, you may have underestimated her when she had been first introduced.

"Only one more week to go and we can stop being their goddamn slaves," Aaron mumbled as your squad worked through the dishes. There were mumbles of agreement and in the distance you could hear someone yelling at a soldier who was falling behind on their duties.

"But (Name)'s schedule isn't going to end anytime soon," Hunter exhaled sharply, handing a plate to her partner. In fact, all of them were doing their dishes with their war buddies, because you wanted them to grow closer.

Your plan was to focus more on tactics that revolved around utilizing each other's buddies as most as they can. Given Brooke's ability, you weren't that concerned about her keeping pace with you, but each of the other soldiers needed their own shaping and perhaps some personal guidance on how they should proceed. Basically, to proceed with your new training plan you had to supervise every single one of them and appoint appropriate techniques for them.

But maybe not yet. You decided not to start until they've finished this week's dishes. Doing the dishes was just about as exhausting as running a few miles. These were trained soldiers, not trained dishwashers.

A week later, you really started to pick up the pace with their training.

"It isn't like I'm disappointed in your performance during the mock war," you started briefing one morning.

"Are we _still_ going on with that one incident?" Lonnie whined. Her partner jabbed her in the ribs so quickly that you thought you'd imagined it. Lonnie ignored him, though she rubbed the place where she'd been elbowed. "I mean, no one could've done well in that sort of situation! Except Brooke. She's awesome." She gave a little nod towards your war buddy, who received the compliment with a polite smile and wave.

You waited until they've finished their small exchange. "You still need to be prepared. I want you to spend more time with your war buddies. Learn how your other half moves and thinks. I'll be going around helping with techniques you could improve on your own little teams."

Then you were aware of Brooke standing quietly behind you. Perhaps you should organize some training for the both of you as well, but it could wait until you've sorted out the lot in front of you. After doling out the exercises for the day, you turned to Brooke to start figuring out what you should do.

"Where did you spend your training?" you asked her, after recalling how her groupmates had described her as "exceptionally speedy and agile," as well as her great endurance. You understood that different army camps had different training techniques, but if a particular camp had produced someone like Brooke you should've known about it.

"It's up further north," Brooke replied after a few silent moments. "I don't know how to explain it. It's kind of bare, but with a few trees along the line. I heard someone say it was near the border, but I really couldn't care less. Wanted to be the best there is, y'know." She smiled brightly.

"An army enthusiast?" you grinned. She kind of reminded you of yourself when you were younger. Always looking for ways to improve yourself, never paying attention to the insignificant details. Of course, now that you were general, you understood that even the tiniest detail could be of the utmost importance. "Seems like you were brought up near the frontlines of the undergoing war. Did you hear any gunshots?"

She thought for a while. "Sometimes I would see wounded soldiers, and they'd come to camp to resupply. They're always in a hurry. I never heard any gunshots, though."

There was currently a war between the country north of yours, and from your understanding the frontlines were directly north of where headquarters was. It was pretty far up, though, and that may explain why you've never heard of the camp before, since it was so out of your way and so close to the actual battlefield.

After a final once-over of Brooke, you decided you could trust her to supervise some of the other soldiers and advise them on what tactics and techniques they could use. "You can teach them some of your own techniques as well," you added before you sent her off. You didn't expect that, in addition to a new soldier, you were getting a new assistant as well.

You watched her for a bit, and how she dealt with the other soldiers. Nobody seemed to mind this decision - in fact, you'd say that Brooke was pretty popular. She was keen on both learning and training, which, in your perspective, made a real good soldier. You turned to help another pair of soldiers with their coordination while thinking about all the techniques and tactics Brooke and you would be capable of doing.

The day quickly flew past, and Brooke didn't do a bad job. She made your job way easier, and you just had to make some minor adjustments. You had, at some point, expected someone to complain that Brooke wasn't doing her part of training, but no one ever raised that point. You did keep in mind to make her participate as a soldier more, though, but no one could ever deny she did an excellent job in providing extra techniques and tactics.

"They must do things differently up in the north," you commented as your squad made your way back to the temporary tents set up outside as part of the agreement.

"They're all pretty similar if you break it down to the basics," Brooke replied quickly, flashing a flustered smile.

You nodded thoughtfully. "Some of them did seem familiar." You parted ways with your soldiers as you made your way to the general's tent. You shared one with Jack, and Jerome had one with Riley. It made planning next moves easier, and you two have grown close in a matter of days. Hardship does that to people, you supposed.

When you entered the tent, the first thing Jack said to you was, "Where did Brooke come from?"

Your immediate instinct was to defend and protect your partner and fellow soldier. Generals had been known to compete over specific soldiers in the past, and you sure as hell weren't going to give Brooke up without a fight. "Kendrick assigned her to me." Nobody goes against the word of the Commander. His word was pretty much law.

Jack made no further comment on the matter, just nodded slowly and sank back onto her sleeping bag. Except for the two sleeping bags, a lantern and a few changes of clothing scattered around, the tent was bare. You didn't need much to fall asleep outdoors.

You turned off the light and changed out of your uniform. After settling down into the sleeping bag, you sighed softly. It would be nice to sleep in a proper room again.

"She's pretty good," Jack said suddenly, disturbing the tranquil silence that had engulfed you moments before. "I've been watching her."

"Her techniques are slightly different from ours, aren't they?" you replied slowly. You really wanted to drift off to sleep, but it would be impolite to leave the senior general hanging.

Jack made a grunt of agreement. "Where does she come from?"

"The north." you answered vaguely. You had the distinct feeling this was a test of some sort.

"Didn't Kendrick give you any details at all?" there was unmasked surprise in Jack's voice. Usually a general or commander would know certain details of a newly transferred soldier, such as where they had trained and their previous war experiences.

"Nope."

Jack got the hint and rolled over with a soft mumble of "good night." You both drifted off to sleep, though that last question had disturbed you. Why _didn't_ the commander give you any details about Brooke? If Brooke had been this good in a training camp, _someone_ should've at least heard some rumors about her existence.

Or perhaps she was something more than that? Part of (yet another) government project that was supposed to be a secret, perhaps? You sighed, more audibly this time. This was going to haunt you for weeks.

"Thanks a lot, Jack," you hissed softly, and you swore you heard her snort.


	5. Chapter 5

**~The Cost of War~**

 **Chapter 5**

Weeks passed, and you were proud to admit that the failure of the mock war had strengthened your soldiers. Well, at least they stopped complaining about the tough training schedules you had for them.

They had also responded well to the part about honing their own unique abilities within their little two-man team. Some worked better with body signals, some were fine without any sort of communication at all, and then there was Quinn and Tory, who can't give signals for shit. They compensated for it by being extremely adaptable to various situations, though, so there's that.

As for you and Brooke's training… It was going alright, but most of the team had wanted to give their own advice as well. A _lot_ of "advice." It seemed to you that Brooke was both a good and bad influence on your soldiers. She had great skills and taught your soldiers a lot of things, but before she arrived your soldiers weren't lacking so much discipline.

You've been considering asking someone for advice on this change - like maybe Jack - but you didn't want the other soldiers in the army to think you, the greatest marksman in a decade, who commanded respect, couldn't handle your soldiers just because of one outsider.

The best remedy for this, and you were sure the Commander would've agreed with you, would be to keep your distance and reclaim your rights as the general of your squad.

And so you're currently doing that, while upping the difficulty of their schedules as well. Of course, you made sure they were well within your own abilities, lest your soldiers think you're slacking off and leaving all the hard work to them.

"Can we play some dodgeball later this afternoon?" Cary bounced over to ask you during training one day. It was two weeks after their punishment from the war had ended, and Brooke's influence had continued to expand. You had to find some way to curb that girl's power.

Also, the concept of _dodgeball_ had been introduced by Brooke as well. It had spread quickly in the army, though no one except Riley's squad had been practicing this new… sport. Why? Because everyone else can control their soldiers. You were just barely holding onto the reins. You did see the potential benefits of this, but its main goal was to provide entertainment.

If the soldiers wanted entertainment, they could leave the army and lie on someone's couch in front of the television, or plug themselves into the Internet.

"You may have a seven on seven paintball battle with guns in the afternoon," you replied to Cary coldly, crossing your arms. She was silent. "If that displeases you, feel free to take the matter to the Commander."

As Cary stalked away, you swore you heard her mutter something about Riley's squad. If she wanted to go join him, you'd let her. There was no room for wimps on your squad. You honestly did not know whether or not Brooke had strengthened or weakened the soldiers.

Just as that train of thought had trailed from your mind, Brooke walked up to your side. Judging from her slightly red complexion, you figured she'd completed her schedule for the morning, and was coming over to "keep you company," as the others had called it. She, being the humble person she was, just said it was to enhance her knowledge by talking to you.

"What do you want?" you hadn't meant to snap at her, but that was what it sounded like. You couldn't help it - the lack of control and power you felt was slowly eating away at you from the inside.

"Sorry," Brooke apologized, though you hadn't even stated what was wrong. When your expression demanded an explanation, she continued. "I realize I'm disrupting the discipline and order of the squad with the teachings of the north."

You nodded tensely.

"I was interested in psychology before I joined the army," she explained further. "It allowed me to read the people around me easily and effectively, and I've solved many a conflict using this skill." She offered a small smile, hoping you'd accept her apology.

When you were silent, she continued in a smaller voice. "I will lay low for the next few months. I'll be able to direct them back onto the normal path for them. If I had led them astray, I can set them back on the correct trail again." She paused, taking a deep breath. "If you wish for me to leave, I will."

She fell silent, awaiting your verdict. You were thinking. Sending Brooke away would've been your first choice, but then again - you didn't want to admit it - she had pulled the team closer to each other. While you were the glue that held everyone's talents together, she was the one who improved the interpersonal relations.

Her carefree attitude may be a bad influence, but you were willing to give her a second chance at proving herself worthy of being in the squad. Also, you could imagine the Commander wouldn't be too pleased to know you'd kicked his hand-picked soldier out of your squad.

"You don't have to leave," you said, forming your words in your head slowly. "But it would be better if you set an example for your fellow teammates. This is for the good of the squad, because remember - we will eventually be set loose on the battlefield. And there will be no second chances then."

This seemed to get the message across. If the offender had been yourself, you'd have taken heed of this warning easily - enthusiasts such as Brooke and yourself didn't want to be the ones to mess up the rhythm of the training, thus increasing the risk of messing up the war.

"Thank you General," Brooke gave you a stiff salute, which made you uneasy, for some reason. You were partners, and while you wanted Brooke to have a proper attitude, this was not how things were done in your squad.

"Just call me (Name)," you huffed, uncrossing and crossing your arms again. "You're fine as long as you keep yourself in check and present yourself as a role model." You softened your voice a little. "The others are still fascinated with you, and frankly, so am I. It isn't often that a Commander refers people to my squad of elite marksmen prior to my consent and knowledge."

Brooke puffed up with pride. "Where I come from, I'm just a slightly above-average soldier," she beamed. "I'm honored to be in your squad, (Name)." Then she sprinted off to join the others in training, probably planning on how to suck up all her bad influence and release some positive ones.

 _Brooke,_ you thought to yourself, watching them train while running through different exercises for them in your head. _Always so humble._ What she said unnerved you, though. If she was only an above-average soldier, did that mean the whole division in this particular camp was falling behind? No one had received any word from the higher ups that they needed more training and become better…

Perhaps Brooke was just squashing herself as low as possible to regain your trust again. It was obvious no one wanted to be kicked out of the elite squad.

The days wore on, and your team was getting better and better, with you basing their training around the partnership. They were forming better bonds and working better in small teams, and occasionally you organized a different schedule to study larger group formations for protection and security.

You and Brooke had developed your own style of fighting as well. You didn't feel the need to improve her aim - whether you were a better shot than her was debateable - so you focused on improving your bonds instead. Any negative emotions you had felt towards her had been completely eliminated, replaced by trust and faith. You could tell Brooke felt the same.

Months flew by with no more distractions - _everyone_ was focusing on training. Word has spread that allied forces warring on the front lines had become weak and needed reinforcements, preferably sooner than later. It was also said that Jack, Jeremy, Riley and your squads would be deployed soon, and no one wanted to be underprepared.

It became sort of a competition between the generals to see who could prepare their team better, though everyone knew the true reason - the enemy was exceptionally powerful, and the generals were afraid: afraid for their themselves, afraid for their soldiers, afraid for the country.

To your pleasure and satisfaction, Brooke was shaping up nicely, picking herself back into a more controlled, disciplined soldier. The perfect role model, if you do say so yourself. You felt no remorse at having to curb her explosive personality - it was for the good of the country, and no self-respecting general would linger too long on improving their soldiers.

The generals' training had not gone unnoticed. The fateful day finally came in the form of Commander Kendrick intruding on the squads' target practice. He had approached you first.

Your squad was to be called to the front lines of the war north of here, where there would be direct contact with hostile forces. He gave you some details of the war.

There are so far two bases near the enemy lines. They swapped soldiers often, putting refreshed ones in the one closer to the front line in exchange for the exhausted soldier. This system worked well, so they'd kept it up over the months. The distance between the two bases was quite far, so a supply base had been established in the middle of the two bases, so that soldiers can rest and stock up before moving on, as well as provide rations for the two bases.

Recently, the enemy had changed their tactics and were pushing on the territory on either side of the first base, instead of attacking the base directly. The commander over there had predicted that what they wanted to do was to encase the two bases directly, so reinforcements had been deployed to hold up the enemy while backup bases were being built in the vicinity. The only problem was the reinforcements hadn't arrived in time, and a chunk of land had been lost to the opposition on the eastern side of the first base.

Your team was to head over to the supply base. There would be more soldiers there, either fresh or exhausted, and they would be under your care. Your job was to hold the base until more reinforcements arrived from other camps, or a new supply base was established.

 **[A/N: a thousand apologies if that didn't make any sense at all… I would include a map if I could…]**


	6. Chapter 6

**~The Cost of War~**

 **Chapter 6**

 **A/N: Apologies for the short chapter. I wasn't feeling in the mood to write this… But I really wanted to get this out. Enjoy! :)**

Your squad sat in silence while the truck rumbled on. The team was divided into two, sitting opposite each other, and in between them sat crates and boxes of ration and ammunition to resupply the base.

Leaning against each of your bodies were your own preferred methods of executing - M40A5 rifles, M24A3 snipers, M25, etc. Before you had set off, you were pleased to know that there would be a wider range of weapons at the supply base. It was basically a treasure trove of supplies… which was exactly why it needed the best protection the army could spare.

As time passed, your soldiers fell asleep one by one. You couldn't blame them - you were feeling a tad drowsy yourself. You had woke them all before dawn, while the sky was still dark, and had them assist in loading up the truck that would take them to their destination. None of the other squads were doing this, but your team didn't complain. Much. You were capable of much harsher treatment.

Unknowingly, you had drifted off as well, and only woke with a start when the truck screeched to a halt. A voice sounded from the driver's seat. "We've arrived, General."

You were the first to hop out of the armored vehicle and survey the surroundings. It wasn't a forest like the soldiers were used to, but there was some decent vegetation surrounding a small ditch in the earth. A few trees were here and there, mostly around the building in the small dent. The building itself wasn't too big, just large enough for a few rooms for sleeping and more rooms for storage. Everything looked tidy enough.

You turned to find your soldiers had stood in a fanned-out line facing you, their guns loaded and ready to fire. Brooke handed your sniper to you and you took it gratefully. Behind them, the truck swerved around and drove out of here.

"Well, this is our cozy little home for God knows how long," you said, shouldering your sniper and getting out your pistol, loading it and flicking back the safety. "Let's check out what this place has to offer."

After doing a thorough sweep of the premises you've concluded no ambushes were present. You sent Aaron and Brice, and Quinn and Tory to check out the bushes around the area to make sure no traps or hidden cameras were there. It doesn't hurt to be too careful.

"Hunter, Jan, Cary, Drew, go check out the goods of this place," you ordered. They nodded and ran off towards the building which you had secured just moments before.

You then went off on your own, wanting to explore the place and get to know it a bit better. There wasn't much to do, though you found a clearing near the building that could serve as a training field. With the amount of cardboard boxes in the building it would be simple to create small boards for target practice. You started to look into formations and how to ward off attacks - the trees looked like a good option.

The sun was starting to set when you finally made your way back to the building. There had been a few animals roaming about, and, wanting to treat your soldiers on their first day of the job, you'd shot a few rabbits to have for dinner. Building a fire wasn't a problem if there was no kitchen. It was a bit of an unnecessary luxury, but no one was going to attack on the first night of the shift. Somehow that was a thing that happened to your squad.

Fortunately, there was a small open-area kitchen with an oven-like contraption. You didn't recall seeing a chimney but you judged by the charred area it's been used frequently. The building - obviously - didn't burn down so it should be alright. The soldiers were ecstatic to have wild game and celebrated by sorting out the stored items and tidying them up.

After dinner, the moon had long since taken its place in the sky. You appointed Evan and Francis to take second watch while you and Brooke did the first one. The soldiers went to their quarters wearily and you gave Brooke her radio and gun as well as a flashlight.

"So," Brooke said after you'd settled down for the watch. "We're on the battlefield."

"Never thought this day would come, huh?" you snorted good-naturedly, adjusting the position of your sniper so it rested more comfortably on your body. Then, you decided to risk asking more about Brooke. Despite the fact that you had been working together and had bonded closely, you still never got to know more about her past. "What's it like, back where you trained?"

Brooke fell silent, and for a moment you were scared you'd frightened her away and damaged the relationship you had in some way. But finally she spoke, and when she did her voice had a hard edge to it. "Harsh. Cruel. They treated women differently than men. We were always seen as _not as strong_ or _not as fast_ or _not as resilient_ or something. It was really tough." Her voice changed to a lighter tone as she continued. "But I fucking showed them! Graduated at the top of my year, y'know, best soldier they'd seen since… I don't know who, exactly, but I'm great."

"I don't doubt that one single bit," you agreed. You couldn't stop thinking about that training camp now, though. If there'd been someplace within the country that treated their female soldiers that badly, surely you'd have heard about it? Even if you hadn't, Jack must've heard about it. She's very protective of women all over the country, if not the world.

Finally your shift ended, and you sent Brooke inside to wake the next pair up. As you traded places with Lonnie and Parker, you couldn't help a few ideas sparking into your head as you surveyed the moonlit surroundings. You believed that, even stationed on the battlefield, soldiers should train in every possible instances.

Besides, you could afford to let your guard down. If enemy troops attacked, you'd have ample time and warning because the other two bases nearest to the supply base would see the direction in which the enemy was moving in.

Training was about to become interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

**~The Cost of War~**

 **Chapter 7**

 **I… didn't know what I was doing? I felt bored writing the (boring) parts so I rushed it. Also no proofreading. Enjoy~**

"Let's review this week's training plan."

Your soldiers were gathered around in a circle as you dictated the plan you'd come up with. It was a rotational system that Quinn had come up with, and you'd adapted it to suit the team's needs. It's already been a month, and apart from the routine training and weekly supply truck, there was nothing worth reporting.

Sometimes you almost wished you were back at headquarters, where there were more things to do.

"Aaron, Brice, Evan, Francis, Lonnie and Parker, you guys are on pair training on the trees." They instinctively glanced at the trees you'd sectioned off for this activity. They would be practicing how to aim at targets you'd put up a distance away, and how to support each other and watch out for each other. Most of all, they'd be practicing how to climb them. You'd specifically chosen the most brittle and thinnest trees so they'd have more to learn.

"Cary, Drew, Hunter, Jan, you're on shooting practice."

"It's precision practice today, isn't it?" Drew asked, and you gave her a nod.

"Brooke and I are going to be on fitness," you said, nodding at your partner, "while guard duty is up to Quinn and Tory." After getting nods from everyone, confirming that they knew what they were doing, you dismissed them.

The teams ran off to their respective stations, after grabbing their guns lying against the wall. It was always a good thing to have protection at all times. Brooke turned to you with a look of total exasperation as you walked to the shooting area. "Didn't we do fitness _last_ week?"

"It was last month," you said with a small laugh. "But with the laps I have you running, it's not a surprise you've got the dates mixed up." You reach the first target lying on the floor and pick it up. It wasn't the heaviest, but one's arms do tend to droop when they carry it for a few hours and run around a lot. There were breaks, but that was only when the shooters needed to reload.

A few hours into the practice, and both you and Brooke were starting to get tired. If you had to rate your soldiers, you'd say that Hunter and Jan were the duo that packed the most powerful punch. Having been best friends for a long time, they knew when to attack together to drive the enemy back. And in this instance, the enemies were the targets you and Brooke were hauling around.

"Moving targets are supposed to be _harder_ to hit!" Brooke complained as she swapped her bullet-ridden target for a new one. "It doesn't help that each time they attack, it's double the power."

"All the better for our defense, I suppose," you said seriously, though you let a smile show on your face.

Just as you were about to run across the field again, Tory came running up to you, out of breath. Why was he out of breath? He's fine with the fitness training. You let him catch his breath for few moments before demanding the news.

"The radio's been acting up," he managed to wheeze, though it sounded like he was going to choke at any moment. "It's from the base nearer to the enemy lines. It sounds like they're… being attacked."

You frowned. There's been nothing on the radio for the past few weeks, and it seemed like the enemy was getting cockier, trying to push their limits by attacking the upper bases. "What does headquarters have to say about it?"

Tory shook his head. "It seems like they're holding on fine for now, and so the bosses are sending in reinforcements directly from headquarters. There aren't any special instructions for us. Quinn reckons they want us to stay put, as a sort of cushion for if the base falls."

"It still amazes me why they put a base so close to the enemy in the first place," Brooke cuts into the conversation, which irritated you slightly.

You ignored her and gave orders to Tory. "Get the extra guns inside, but in a convenient spot. I want all security measures to be double-checked, and make sure that radio gets new batteries. I'll have a new schedule drawn up so there will be someone at the radio at all times, until news of the base comes back." Tory nodded and ran off, back into the building.

These were one of the times you wished your small supply base was at least a little more modern. The only source of information you had was the radio and the supply truck that comes and goes. Something like a radar would help in locating the enemy or tracking their movements, or maybe even a communication station, which would be more reliable than a radio.

You turned around to catch Brooke still resting. You sighed internally, before snapping at her to get running again.

Another week passed before any more news on the siege on the base came back. Apparently the invaders have been fought off, and luckily there weren't much casualties, but it seems like some parts of the buildings have been damaged. A lot more supply trucks started to come through your base, picking up supplies for the soldiers in need. You had to put your training sessions on hold because you didn't want your soldiers to accidentally shoot someone in the head.

When the last of the supply trucks had gone, you immediately got your troops back out in the field training. You shifted the rotations a bit, so now you and Brooke were on guard duty. Sitting in a room with a radio wasn't as exciting as it sounded.

Just as you were about to suggest playing a card game to Brooke, the Bad News Radio crackled to life. "Again?" you mumbled. You wanted nothing more than a good night's sleep after the hectic day, but Brooke seemed to be on exceptionally high alert. Usually you'd trust Quinn's or Tory's intuition more, but something tells you that Brooke's expecting something.

"The Mid-Northern base is under attack." The voice reported. "Request backup immediately. Status repo… communic… end…" You frowned and tapped the radio a few times to make sure it was working okay.

"I think they're cutting their communication somehow," Brooke said abruptly, making you pause in your actions and glance at her. She shrugged. The only explanation she supplied was "I like to read."

You turned back to the matter at hand. "If I'm not mistaken, the Mid-Northern base is quite far from our base, so we should be safe, unless headquarters has anything to say about it." You glanced down at the radio hopefully. Nothing. What special day was it? So many attacks in such a short period of time.

"How did the enemy get that far into our space, though?" It was Brooke's turn to frown. "Isn't that particular base deep within our territory? That's why they call it _Mid_ -Northern, right?"

"They must've attacked the upper base for distraction purposes, and then mobilized their units," you said, thinking hard. What was the headquarters doing? They were the ones with the fancy equipment. Why weren't they warning the people out here? You came to the conclusion that either something was very wrong with their equipment, or the enemies were genuinely messing with the communication lines over here, just as Brooke had suggested.

"Let's say what you said was real," you started off, turning to face Brooke, who snapped to attention once you laid eyes on her. "How, exactly, would they cut our lines?"

"Magnetic interference?" Brooke shrugged. "Radio jammer? Satellites? I honestly don't know. There are a million ways they could probably do that."

Suddenly, you felt uneasy. Insecure, even. Assuming that the radio's down - which it probably shouldn't be - there would be no outside help if the war spread over to your side. You sent Brooke up to the roof to check for enemies while you strapped the radio to your belt and ran outside to gather your soldiers. You didn't want them so spread out so you'd like to concentrate them in an area for a bit.

The radio slapped against your thigh uncomfortably as you went around spreading the news. Sometimes it would emit static sounds, which you could only assume was the Mid-Northern base relaying information, or even headquarters issuing orders, if you were lucky.

You met Brooke back in the building, and her face was all flushed, probably from the running and the rookie excitement of the prospect of a battle. "Anything?"

"I thought I saw something in the distance, but that might be because I haven't been on the roof for so long," Brooke said breathlessly. She probably could've seen the whole of China marching towards the base and wouldn't be able to tell. You made a mental note to add _rooftop sighting training_ to your plans.

You decided to run up to the roof for a quick check yourself, just to be sure. Where was all this anxiety and nervousness coming from? You weren't usually so cautious with things. As you scanned the distance, you saw the faintest cloud drift up from the ground, in the direction of the Mid-Northern base.

It seemed to be getting… bigger?

You wished you had binoculars. They got shipped off to the upper base that got attacked, because reasons. You watched for a few more moments, and then the realization hit you. It was a dust cloud, thrown up by a literal army of trucks and soldiers.

If it weren't for the fact that you needed your legs, you would've thrown yourself off the roof immediately to get to your soldiers in the fastest way possible. Even so, you nearly tripped and fell on the way down the stairs.

"Battle positions!" You yelled once you were out in the open. Your soldiers froze and stared at you, while you stared back. Maybe you looked like someone who had gone insane. You certainly felt like someone who had gone insane. "Not a drill, people! The enemy is heading towards us, and if I can see it without binoculars, that means they're coming fast!"


	8. Chapter 8

**~The Cost of War~**

 **Chapter 8**

 **I did some research, and the main reason why you-based / second-person POVs are not allowed is because if an author writes a lemon with it, the story could be considered as a piece of child porn and the author could be prosecuted as a sex offender. Some believe that as long as the story doesn't include sexual content or is interactive with their readers, then it can be kept around. I think I believe it. I won't make any changes at the moment (because I don't have time), and if I get banned, I'll just go somewhere else.**

You didn't know what you'd expected when you had hollered _battle positions,_ but your soldiers all ran into the building.

Following them, you gathered up all the ammo for your gun, and slinging an extra rifle over your shoulder. Stronger vests, helmets, and pistols were distributed, and simple battle plans were made. Someone found a crate of suppressors at the back, and you were doubtful of whether they would work, but got everyone to load them on anyway.

"Aaron, Brice, Brooke, take the trees," you ordered as small, localized walkie-talkies were handed out. "Hunter, Jan, Lonnie, Parker - ground duty." By _ground duty_ you meant _hide in trees, but closer to the ground and base._ "Cary, Drew, you guys are on the roof. Quinn, Tory, Evan, Francis defend the base, and man the radio." With a frown, you realized there weren't enough soldiers to protect the supply base.

Everyone nodded, all traces of laughter gone from their features. This was a real battle, life or death. You flashed back to the mock battle a few months earlier. A lot of the soldiers had gotten "injured," and this was an unknown enemy.

"These people are strong," you cautioned your team. "They've got both brawn and brains. I suspect they tricked us into doing something, just not sure what."

"Be careful," Brooke advised. You swore someone rolled their eyes at her.

The team split up, and Brooke's ominous warning echoed in your ears as the roaring of trucks grew louder.

You had placed Aaron and Brice in two separate trees, near where the entrance of the base is. There was more cover there, so they could retreat quickly and still be unseen. The position you and Brooke picked though, should be right where the enemy would pass. You guys would be the first obstacle the opposition had to go through, and you were determined not to go down without a fight.

"Are you sure this tree would hold us?" you asked, skeptical. Brooke had scaled the thin brittle tree easily, clinging onto the branches like a cat. It seemed fine for someone as lithe as Brooke, but you had a larger frame than her.

"Then go to that one?" She pointed to a sturdier-looking tree across the worn path. You gave it a quick glance, then decided it would do. Swinging yourself up until the leaves gave you as much cover as they could, you set up your guns, seeing Brooke doing the same on the opposite.

The walkie-talkie strapped onto your belt crackled to life, and you connected it to your helmet. "Status reports." You demanded.

" _Ready."_ That was Aaron and Brice.

" _Ready."_ Hunter and Jan.

" _Ready._ " Quinn and Tory.

" _As ready as we'll ever be."_ Evan and Francis.

" _Rea - Cary, I know it's uncomfortable, but put. It. ON!"_ Cary and Drew, with Cary complaining about the ammo belts again.

Across the path, you saw Brooke give you a thumbs up. You returned the favor, then went back to setting up your scopes.

Switching channels, you talked to Brooke alone. "You pick off the ones that aren't as noticeable, like people on the outskirts or… you get what I mean."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll take out the drivers, or any key positions."

"I'll do that." Brooke offered.

"I don't want to endanger you."

You heard her sigh. "This is a _war_ , (Name). I already saw what you did with Aaron and Brice - the whole _protecting_ _them_ and all."

You hesitated. You had grown with your soldiers, and you were like a mother to them. Of course you wouldn't want your children to get hurt.

"Do we have to kill them?" Brooke's whisper crackled across the line.

You had to suppress a snort. She seemed pretty wimpy when it came to taking down actual people, but you could see what she meant. "Critically injure them, then, if you don't have the balls to kill them dead."

You looked up to see Brooke mouthing something rapidly. You couldn't hear any static on your side, so she was probably advising the other teams on what to do. During the weeks you'd been together, the team had taken to going to her for advice when you were busy. It irked you somewhat, but seeing the team grow made your heart grow as well.

 _I hope no one gets hurt_ , you whisper quietly to yourself. It wasn't long until you heard the rumbling grow louder and louder by the second.

Then there was silence. You tensed immediately - you couldn't help it. It was a reflex you had developed on the battlefield. At least with noise, you could know approximately where the opposition were.

A softer growl reached your ears, and you realized the roads were too small to accommodate their jeeps. You didn't know if that was good or bad news. "Ready?" you asked Brooke over the radio.

"Yeah." she whispered, breathless from the excitement of battle.

This is what you lived for. As the hood of the first car rolled forward, you aimed for the people seated in the back. There were no windows - judging by the ragged edges, you'd guess these were the same vehicles used to raid the Mid-Northern base. They had landmines. Lucky them.

And fortunate for you. With a quick squeeze of the trigger, the two passengers at the back were dead. Brooke probably got the other one. Such synchronization. You let out a sigh of relief, noting that the suppressors work.

With a quick fingers, you loaded another bullet into the sniper. There were a few ground soldiers, but you signaled for Brooke to leave them. There was a swish of grass on the left, and one of the soldiers ran off to check it out. You took care of him quickly.

It was a long and boring process, but you had to keep your balance, and by the time you deemed it necessary to retreat back to base, you were covered in sweat. You had lost count of the amount of soldiers by the time you hit sixty. There were, like, fifteen jeeps, two trucks, and a tank? That might've been you hallucinating.

You gave a signal and leaped from tree to tree, rolling on impact when you landed back on the ground, while Brooke did the same. "They don't look like a team prepared to take over a supply base," Brooke panted into the microphone as both of you took off running in the direction of the base, to help the others. You were acutely aware of the fact that there were more soldiers pouring into the base.

"They look like they're prepared for a full-out invasion of ever base from here to headquarters," you agreed, reloading bullets into your rifle and pistol as you ran. Quickly switching channels, you ordered, "Status reports!"

"They're flooding in," someone reported. You didn't have the focus to know who was speaking. "There must be at least forty of them!"

You heard a few gunshots, and realized it was coming from in front of you. Either the opposition had started firing, or one of your teammates had been forced to abandon their suppressed snipers and went for their pistols.

"Someone's been shot," Brooke said, and your heart raced when you saw a body lying in front of you. Thankfully, it was the enemy's, so you leaped across it without another glance.

You led Brooke the long way round, so there didn't need to be any unnecessary scuffles. There were a few stray soldiers here and there, but a bullet to the head quickly took care of that.

Aaron was there, and from the looks of it he's been shot in the shoulder. He gave you a quick nod, signaling he was fine, and you sent Brooke to scale the nearby trees and take down as many people as she could.

You did the same, on a different tree, firing until your fingers were sore and covering for Aaron as well, who was doing his best to tend to his wound while keeping his ground.

At first it seemed like your team was fighting them off, and you were hopeful. _Bang._ You had taken off the suppressor on your rifle, because no one could come near you. _Bang._ _Bang._ The others were doing well, and had only sustained minor injuries. _Bang. Bang. Bang._ You felt the thrill of battle coursing through your veins. _Bang. Bang._ No enemy could reach you, and with Brooke having your back, you were (arguably) invincible. _Bang._

 _Bang. Bang._

Enough time had passed that headquarters' reinforcements should be halfway here by now. If only you could hold off more…

 _Bang._

"Haven't you killed enough?" a voice behind you said. Frowning, you tried to turn around but your movement was limited by the branch shaking threateningly, and lying flat on your stomach wasn't a great position.

"I asked a question."

Before you could drop to the ground, directly into the fray, you felt a foot on your back, putting immense pressure onto your spine. Was it even possible to have so much strength concentrated on the area of a single foot?

Turning your head slightly, you could just make out the shape of half a person. It looked familiar. You knew who it was. You didn't want to believe it.

She must've seen your look of surprise and hurt because she tossed her head back and laughed. "I've been on here for so long and you didn't even use that mighty military brain of yours to think! You know that feeling when you get away from murder? Oh, you would, you're murdering people right now. But anyway, getting away with lying is even better than that."

"I'll take your word for it." You tried to work out the odds of you flipping over and not dying, and it seemed pretty good, so you did.

Considering she was a traitor, it didn't matter if you broke her ankle or anything, and to be honest you didn't really care. Your trained reflexes, coupled with the element of surprise, allowed you to successfully twist her leg until you could face her.

The only flaw with this plan was that your center of balance was thrown way off course. Only an experienced veteran should've picked it up, what with balancing on the trees and all, but to your surprise, the traitor's eyes lit up and she shoved you out of the tree.

You saw her smug smirk as she grabbed her radio and jabbered into it. You barely remembered to roll to negate some of the damage done, and by the time you were ready to fire your gun again, it was too late. The precious minute on the tree meant two less people holding off the intruders, and to your dismay you saw the enemy's reinforcements.

There was a click, and suddenly you found yourself staring down two barrels. "For fuck's sake!" you growled impatiently, reaching for your pistol. You'd die before you gave up your position.

"No need to be so foul," one of the men handling the guns grinned at you. You cocked your pistol and fired off a shot. The bullet embedded itself into the soldier's chest, and that quickly wiped the cheekiness off his face.

His partner looked enraged, but he didn't do anything. Did they have orders to kill you or not? Just as you were about to shoot him as well, you felt something hit your back.

"These cowards might be scared to injure our precious treasure, but I know exactly where to put a bullet. Maybe a few."

"You underestimate me, Brooke." You fired off a shot at the enemy soldier's shoulder just to prove your point. How far could you push your limits? "I can shoot well even when I'm on the ground."

Did that traitor Brooke and her fellow army not receive any orders? Why was she still standing behind you doing nothing? You felt movement behind you and turned around to see more enemy troops, which wasn't a surprise.

What _was_ a surprise, though, were the two people that accompanied them. Cary and Brice. You were enraged at first - how many traitors did you have on your team? - when you saw their dejected faces.

"I tried," Brice said softly, and you realized they had been captured.

Were they playing a game with you? If so, you were so tired of it. "You could've just told me if your orders were to get me," you rolled your eyes at Brooke. "Don't have to stoop so low as to threaten me with the capturing of my own teammates."

Brooke actually looked surprised. "Oh." She glanced at the people who held Brice and Cary. "So you're willing to just… come with us?" She looked genuinely confused.

Cary glared at you but you gave her a knowing smile. Quick as a flash, you smashed the butt of your pistol into Brooke's head, and she crumpled to the ground. Brice and Cary retaliated as well after seeing you in action, and you quickly ran off to check on the rest of your team once you saw that they were safe.

The gunshots had ceased somewhat, and that made you worry. Looking up to see if anyone was on the roof, you were a bit disconcerted at the fact that there was no one up there. Where was Drew?

You rounded the corner of the building and stopped. Your team had been completely overrun. The entire base was surrounded by enemies, and you couldn't see any reinforcements for your side. You made a quick mental note to throttle whoever set up the communications system, because their shit job could've just cost the lives of eleven fine soldiers.

Your team was standing in the middle of the clearing, each stripped of their weapons, and with a gun pointed at their heads. Hunter saw you and gave a little wave, which earned her a hit with a firearm.

"I'm surprised Brooke let you out of her grasp," someone spoke up behind you. You turned around to bash the guy's face in, but he caught your wrist and twisted it painfully. You dropped your pistol and tried to not fall with it.

"Yeah, well, you shouldn't have inflated her ego so much," you snapped back.

The guy ignored you. "I'll make it short for you. Either you come with us, or your whole team dies. I'm not as soft as Brooke."

 _Not my_ whole _team,_ you thought, your mind remembering Cary and Brice.

"You have five seconds."

That got your attention. "How do I know you're not just going to shoot them anyway?"

"I'm a man of my word," he grinned, and if you weren't out of your depth here you would've used that face to wipe your floor.

He must've seen the look on your face, because he finally sighed. "Fine. I'll send away the bulk of my men until a few remain. And for every step you take with me to my vehicle, I'll send more away."

 _Cary and Brice would secure the perimeter so there aren't any snipers or ambushes waiting for the rest of them._ Your mind worked furiously. _Quinn and Tory have hand-to-hand combat training and were quite good. Brooke's out of the picture. Lonnie and Francis could probably sniff out anyone else lurking._

"Okay." You wrenched your arm back to your side when his grip on you loosened. "Send your men away. I'm going to make sure you don't take back your words."


End file.
